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This One Goes Out to the “Respectable Negro”

So, a few days back, Trevor Noah (who I’ve long been a fan of), had white-supremacist-with-piss-poor-hair-stylist Tomi Lahren on his show for an extended interview that many (white) liberals are heralding as a model way for “opposing sides” to “come together.”

…and, while I’m gonna pass on outlining the interview (because frankly, I didn’t watch the whole thing…here’s a thread, though!), I’m just thankful my eyes haven’t gotten stuck from all the rolling they’ve done throughout the entire fallout.

Then, Charlamagne Tha God popped up, as there were apparently plans to have Tomi featured on the Breakfast Club for an interview, which she (“shockingly”) backed out of. Charlamagne still made it a point to reach out and have a sit-down with her, which had the outcome of him declaring that he doesn’t believe she’s a racist, but simply “misinformed.” There was also something about him wanting to ask her if “Black Penises Matter” but…no.

Y’all…I’m tired.

Donkey of the Year

Personally, I’m over this need that “we” have to kiss the ass of white supremacy and try to play nice with it. We’ve been trying to play the assimilation game for centuries now and I think whiteness has made it pretty clear that it’s not having us. Black folks have simply tried to ask that white people acknowledge that they have privileges in this system and they respond with gaslighting. Black folks simply said “Black Lives Matter” and #wypipo responded with “All Lives Matter”…and worse, “Blue Lives Matter.” Black folks tried to peacefully ask that police simply stop shooting our unarmed Black folks and white supremacy responded by flipping out and electing a fascist, who will serve no one’s best interests, into the white house.

Speaking of cops and Black Lives Matter, one thing the “respectable” negros have taken to is joining in with white supremacists in humanizing cops (via the “Not All Cops” trope). I’m personally bored of this topic, at this point, but it’s been explained, ad nauseum, that the issue isn’t one of cops being good or bad. It’s about a system that enables any cop to display corrupt behavior with the security that, in all likelihood, they’ll get away with it. This was, of course, one of the things that Trevor jumped to side with Tomi on.

Another thing that irritated me with Trevor—as well as “respectable” negros, in general—was his joining Tomi, the white supremacists, and white liberals (who are also white supremacists, honestly) in condemning violent protesters and looters. Look, I know it’s super easy and convenient to talk up the virtues of “peaceful” protesting, but fact is, we’re working against an inherently violent system. How can you expect humans to meet constant, unrelenting violence with only a non-violent response? And as far as looting goes, important to note that the main places that are targeted are generally places that 1) have the means to easily rebuild and replace, and 2) are often guilty of exploting those neighborhoods and the Black people in them everyday, so…why do we care?

Between these basic examples, and so much more, I’m just bored. But so much of the Black community is content to continue, not only trying to approach a violent oppressor with kindness and understanding (as if whiteness is capable of either), but these “respectable” Black folks attempt assimilation via perpetuating some of the same, toxic rhetoric as them.

I think it also needs to be pointed out that the segment of the Black community that’s most guilty of this is the one that’s situated, right in the center of the race: Cisgender Black Men (but mostly the cishet ones). Similarly to WhiteGayze™ and their bullshit, cishet Black men are granted the closest proximity to whiteness & white supremacy…therefore, they’re most prone to wanting to assimilate into it instead of deconstruct it. This need to appeal to whiteness materializes in how Black men practically worship white women (also white gays, but saving that for another post) or are most likely to reject the intersectionality of today’s Pro-Black activism and subscribe to “hotep” ideology (which has recently—and hilariously—been dubbed the “Ankh-Right“).

…and let’s not forget that 13% of Black men voted for Trump…that’s more than the percentage of Black men who voted for both Romney and McCain.

This respectability and need to make space for whiteness also takes shape in the ongoing meme that is the “cookout“…which I’ve ranted about extensively. Some folks will claim it’s “not that deep” (a headass proverb if there ever was one), but it speaks to the way that Black folks needlessly go out of our way to shower praise onto white people who do the absolute bare minimum…and, in some cases, are actually flat-out harmful to Black folks. But it’s even more annoying in that a lot of the people who jump to make space for white people, do so at the expense of Black folks (particularly, ones who fall outside of their bigoted mindset of what Blackness is). From what I’ve observed, I’ve reached the unfortunate conclusion that there are many Black people who will invite any, basic white person to “the cookout” before Black LGBTQ folks…and even many Black, cishet women.

Black folks will invite any and every white person who appropriates Black shit quicker than they’ll invite LGBTQ ppl who are actually Black

But really, the most funny thing about it is, Black folks are content on pushing respectability, despite the fact that it consistently proves ineffective…Trevor’s interview demonstrated this. Anytime Trevor refuted her points, Tomi still stubbornly stuck to her same bullshit talking points…just like white supremacists always do. Black folks have largely tried to work through the system and ask nicely for change, yet white supremacy continues to dehumanize us. There’s this belief that if we just appeal to their “morality,” things will get easier…but, as white supremacy has shown, time and time again, it has no morality to appeal to. Even if Tomi Lahren doesn’t truly believe the bullshit she spews, it doesn’t matter…she has a vested interest in perpetuating white supremacy for her audience. It works against her interests to advocate for justice, just like justice works against white supremacy, as a whole.

The construct of whiteness doesn’t operate on morals, reality, facts or logic…just on oppression, greed and power. Therefore, there’s no reasoning with it. I just want us to collectively understand this so we can put more muscle behind real and substantive solutions.

Respectable Black folks have me like…

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About Angry Black HoeMo

Comments

I totally agree with all the points you’ve laid down here. I found the whole Trevor Noah/Tomi Lahren spectacle excruciating. I don’t get it: why did he even want to give her a platform in the first place? What exactly is this exchange supposed to “model” or to accomplish: to demonstrate the utter *futility* of reason and sound argument in the face of irrational hatred?

Plus (my opinion a white woman): these kinds of shows are a setup for the “smart, rational” one (Trevor Noah) to argue *from the side of white supremacy* by having to carefully accommodate his guest, producing the “Not All Cops” and “rioting-is-terrible” tropes. I guess this tactic is supposed to be a way to find “common ground” between the two interlocutors. Talking about real shit would go above the heads of his viewing audience, whose craving for gladiatorial spectacle must be satisfied at all costs. It’s about the ratings…. ugh.